2 weeks Ago By Andrew Ryan
RONAN O’GARA praised Jack Crowley’s “top class” drop goal against La Rochelle – admitting it was an “ironic” way for Munster to win.The Irish province advanced to the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup with a sensational win in France on Saturday.Jack Crowley kicked a late drop goal in Munster’s win over La RochelleRamsey Cardy/SportsfileRonan O’Gara praised Crowley’s executionRamsey Cardy/SportsfileThey were leading 22-17 deep into the second-half when Crowley pinged a glorious drop goal to extend their lead.
It proved to be the match-winning moment as La Rochelle scored a late converted try but ended up losing by a single point.It was especially poignant to see an Ireland out-half score a stunning late drop goal against a side managed by O’Gara.And he admitted: “It was pretty ironic how they won it, getting it out to eight points with a peach of a drop goal.
“I was thinking ‘that little f***er’.“I’ve seen a lot of good drop goals but that’s a top-class one at a moment that just probably takes the decision away from the referee.“With a five-point game maybe you’re thinking okay we’re going to have a chance.
“But it was a brilliant kick. [Craig] Casey kicked brilliantly.“They took their opportunities, we didn’t.
You can analyse deeply into it but that’s pretty fast summation of it.”While La Rochelle were stunned by Crowley’s moment of magic, Munster captain Tadhg Beirne revealed it was part of the plan. He said: “I watched him hitting a few of them in the warm-up and said it would be nice if we got one of them.
“But it’s no surprise to us—he’s doing that in training all the time. What a drop goal that was, but the overall performance from him was incredible.“I thought he managed the game well.
Fair play to him.”Crowley himself, however, gave the credit the Munster’s battling forwards for their resilience in the face of a late La Rochelle charge.The fly-half, 25, said: “The belief has always been there.
No matter who we face, that fight is always in us.“The credit has to go to the lads who put in the shift up front. We asked them to do a lot.
“It wasn’t perfect by any means but it never is.“You could see how hard it was to break them down, it’s no joke coming here, it’s a serious place.”.
